Peace in a Conflicted World

Hosted by
the Theravada Buddhist Community

With

Ayyā Medhānandī & Ayyā Nimmalā

November 8th & 9th, 2024

Two Theravada nuns sitting side by side in front of a Buddha shrine.

Ayyā Medhānandī is the guiding teacher and founder of Sati Sāraniya Hermitage, the first Theravāda bhikkhuni monastery in Canada. She was ordained as an alms mendicant nun in 1988 at the Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Myanmar, with most Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita. In 2007, she fulfilled her long-held wish for bhikkhuni ordination in Taiwan. All the spiritual tests of her life have ignited in her an unrelenting faith in the Buddha’s teachings.

Ayyā Nimmalā started her training as a Theravada Buddhist nun in Ottawa, in 2008, with Ayyā Medhānandī as her teacher. She became a samaneri (10-precept novice nun) in 2010 and took full ordination as a bhikkhuni in 2011. She currently resides at Sati Saraniya Hermitage in Perth, Ontario.

Retreat Information

Friday, November 8th
7:15 pm – 9:15 pm EST

Doors open at 7:00 pm
7:15 pm – 7:30 pm   Retreat introduction, Opening Chants
7:30 pm – 8:15 pm   Meditation
8:15 pm – 9:15 pm   Dhamma Talk, Q & A, Closing Chants

Saturday, November 9th
9:00 am – 3:30 pm EST

Doors open at 8:30 am 
9:00 am –  9:15 am.     Opening Chants, Taking Three Refuges & The Five Precepts
9:15 am – 10:00 am     Meditation
10:00 am – 10:45 am   Dhamma Reflections

10:45 am – 12:15 pm     Lunch

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm     Walking or Seated Meditation
1:00 pm –   3:00 pm     Dhamma Talk, Q & A, Metta Meditation
3:00 pm –   3:30 pm     Sharing of Blessings, Closing Chants

Location:
Friends House (Quaker House)
60 Lowther Avenue, Toronto, On, M5R 1C

Noble Silence:  The retreat will be held in noble silence

Meditation Supports:  Please bring your own meditation cushion, mat, bench, etc. Chairs will be available. Note: The floor does not have carpeting.

TTC and Parking:  Located near St. George Subway Station.  GreenP parking options are in the area

Venue Accessibility:  Wheelchair accessible

Lunch Break:  We will break for lunch between 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Please bring your own lunch or purchase one from a take-out restaurant in the area. 

Cost: By donation. Tax receipts are provided for all donations $20 and over. Various payment methods will be available at the door.

Registration:  The session will be offered in-person and online.  Because there is a limit on the number of people the room can accommodate, we are asking people who would like to attend in-person to register ahead of time. If you are joining online there is no need to register.

Attending In-Person

If you register and find that you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can make your space available for another person. You can let us know through the Contact Us form on the Home Page.

Attending Online:

If you are unable to join in-person, we are happy to provide an online option using Zoom. To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link: 

TBC Online Zoom Session

If prompted, use this password: 047375

If you haven’t done so already, you may be prompted to install the Zoom application. When the application is finished installing, you will join an online room where our session takes place. You can then click on join with audio and camera.

Zoom telephone numbers for Canada, if connecting by phone:
(Meeting ID: 741 749 355, Password: 883290)
+1 204 272 7920
+1 438 809 7799
+1 587 328 1099
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
+1 778 907 2071